Interesting. I'm not much versed in feminism, so your essay was very enlightening.

As I wrote in my comment to original post, Xander became interesting to me as soon as I started writing him. I pitted him against Buffy in a situation where both are partly wrong and partly right. And he totally held his own, and I could "see" and "hear" him, and didn't sound false. At least, to me.

Since that time I dig him and I agree with people who find the character interesting and even fascinating.